Waterman Carene Fountain Pen - First Impressions

[@MarcellHobbs]

Lovely pen! I have had one in my cart for a couple of days, considering purchase. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy!

[@GarryEves]

It's such an elegant pen.

[@cobwebsandcatnip]

I got a Carene deluxe black for Christmas and I absolutely love it. It's so smooth to write with and the perfect size for me.

[@GarryEves]

I've been using it as my daily driver today. it is very nice to use but feels slightly thin to me.

[@munozrick]

I have a purple Carene and love it! A timeless design. Yes, it's not inexpensive, but for the price it's an excellent combination of style, design, and writing quality.

[@GarryEves]

I can see this pen lasting me decades, where as a lot of my cheaper pens I only expect a couple of years from. Its a very simple, classy and time-honoured design and was well worth the money.

[@anthonymarano2323]

Gorgeous pen, thank you for sharing your take on it. Definitely makes me want one!

[@GarryEves]

👍

[@marilyngardner4269]

I have one of these pens on order, so I'm excited to hear your review and read other comments. I've been wanting one for ages.

[@GarryEves]

I've been using it as my daily driver today. It's very smooth to write with.

[@angelaking9619]

Thanks for this - it looks gorgeous and seems to behave so well. A Waterman Carene is definitely going on my grail pen list! Enjoy

[@GarryEves]

Thanks. It's a very pleasurable experience to write with this.

[@Rgc571]

Love my Carene which is the same as yours. My experience has been exactly as you described. Thanks for the video and Best Wishes for the Ne Year.

[@GarryEves]

Thank you. And good wishes to you as well.

[@53minerva]

What a great pen! Wonderful video...now i know what color to go for and what nib. Thank you very much.

[@GarryEves]

The pictures really don't do the material justice. It's so pretty and classy to look at.

[@rat3072]

I had just added this pen to a wish list on a retail site a few days back. I wasn't looking for reviews, but the YT algorithm apparently decided I needed to see one... I really love the look of hooded nibs, I wish there were more pens that had that. I've been thinking on an e95s for a pretty long time, but I think I'll be getting a Carene first instead now. Now I just have to decide on silver vs gold trim, and medium vs broad nib, I guess. Such a great present to get, it's definitely a gorgeous pen!

[@GarryEves]

I am planning a video comparing the Carene and E95S, but it won't be for at least 2 months so I can use them both for a while before recording the video.

[@rat3072]

@@GarryEves Well, no rush. I can be patient. It's not like either pen is going off the market anytime soon so I have to grab it now. lol

[@wlbrockman]

Hi, Gary and friends, it's Bill. I've been blessed to own a Marine Amber Carene for a bit over 3 years. I had only begun thinking of myself as a fountain pen enthusiast a few months before I purchased it. My tastes run to conservative or classic but with a touch of flair or color. My snap brim gray fedora, for example, has a solid black band but sports a multi-color, smallish feather. I had just learned that there is such a thing as a grail pen when I first saw a picture of a Carene. I concluded immediately this was it for me. Then I saw the price and figured it would be quite a while before I would spend so much for a pen, if I ever would. A few months later, however, while shopping on Amazon for something else, I decided to check what was available in fountain pens and found my Carene, new, for $156.00 USD. I bought it, even though it had a fine nib and I was not a fan of them at the time. They still aren't my favorite nib size. I had read Waterman might exchange it for a medium. On receiving the pen, I was even more enthusiastic about its appearance. In addition, the feel is amazing. It is just the right size and weight for me. It is beautifully balanced. It is perfectly machined. The depth of the marine amber color is amazing. It really does call to mind a fine wooden boat hull, like the advertising material at the Waterman site says. On putting it to use, however, I experienced quite a disappointment. The nib was scratchy and leaked. I read on line that this is sometimes a problem with the Carene nib. Since Amazon doesn't honor the Waterman warranty, I had to deal with the company directly. Their customer service was excellent. They replaced the nib as quickly as possible given they are located in France, though with another fine. What I'd read was mistaken. It is possible to purchase a Carene medium nib unit for less than the price of the pen; however, I've learned to love this particular fine nib after making some minor adjustments myself. It has no leaks, is not scratchy and writes with just the right amount of feedback. The line width is a bit greater than most fine nibs. After my Pilot Custom Heritage 823, which I purchased about a year ago, the Carene is my second favorite pen in my collection of 37 fountain pens. My go to ink for the Carene is Diamine Oxblood, though I also like to use a good black ink with it--Lamy's black and Taccia's Kuro. I hope you'll treat us to a follow up video after you've used your wife's wonderfully thoughtful gift for a while.

[@GarryEves]

Thanks. It is a very under-stated and classy look, and the colour is so nice. I'm currently planning to put Writers Blood in it next and then will try Oxblood. I did see another review where someone mentioned that had problems with a Carene, I think it may have been Doug Rathbun.

[@wlbrockman]

@@GarryEves De nada. Thanks for your reviews, which are consistently well produced and informative, IMHO. I think it may have been Doug (Inkuiring Minds, right?) who mentioned some issues with the Carene nib, but he also described it as a grail pen when he got it several years ago. I remember watching his review shortly before or shortly after purchasing mine. His review either prompted me to pull the trigger or confirmed that I made a good decision buying it. May you come to love yours as much as I love mine.

[@wlbrockman]

Another ink I believe pairs well with the Carene is Diamine Espresso.

[@GarryEves]

@@wlbrockman Thanks. I've added that to my list of inks for future purchases.

[@normamccafferty3053]

Beautiful pen. My husband has several inexpensive Waterman pens and likes them. They’re from the 80’s. He says he’s jealous. :) Thanks for the video!

[@GarryEves]

Thanks.

[@ichirofakename]

Such a beauty; right up there in e95s territory.

[@GarryEves]

I've added a future video to do a showdown between the 2 of them.

[@catwhisperer911]

Lovely pen. Enjoy!

[@paulmchugh1430]

I have always been intrigued by this pen. The design is gorgeous as is the resin. The nib is also a great design. My wish would be it had an EF nib. You should enjoy using this pen a lot.

[@GarryEves]

Thanks. nIts very nice. I would also say the nib, at least to me, seems to be on the broader side of Medium - which is perfect for me as I like the thicker lines. I've been using it today as my daily driver. Wow is it a nice writer.

[@paulmchugh1430]

@@GarryEves Santa was very good to you this year.

[@kylefan8478]

I got one for 120 cad(~95 USD) back in 2020 on amazon, writes great.

[@GarryEves]

👍 Thats a great price for a great pen.

[@sathishrao7926]

I’ve been eyeing a Carene (DLX version with Gold trim) for a while, but haven’t made up my mind to shell out 160 USD ! I’ve a Sheaffer Imperial and a Sheaffer Targa with Inlaid nibs which are a kind of similar..

[@kauaiphotography]

Aloha Garry! Congratulations on your latest acquisition. I have the exact same finish and also in a medium nib, which I thought was a bit broad for a medium nib? I must confess that I am a fine to medium nib person, but it writes perfectly and I believe I read the feed has a ink reservoir, so ink flow should not be an issue. I will need to ink it up this week, maybe with a drier ink to see if my thoughts on the nib width still holds true! I feel the same way about my Lamy 2000 with a medium nib. Enjoying the reviews, first looks, top 5, etc .... Mahalo from Kauai, Hawaii. Thomas

[@GarryEves]

Thanks. I'm planning on trying Diamine Writers Blood in it next - that should be a real gusher of a combo.

[@jamesmiddleton2856]

Nice pen.

[@SimplyAubs]

Thanks for sharing your Waterman Carene Fountain Pen! It looks very nice! (I'll admit, I'm a 'weirdo' and can't stand gold trim - I prefer Chrome! 🤷‍♀ ) I found a Waterman Expert v1 in my father-in-law's pen case - and snagged it! 🤓(I'm going to CLEAN it - then give it back! Sure helps ME save money! 🤪 ) Thanks, Garry! Cheers!

[@GarryEves]

Thanks. I also like to see the chrome trim on most of my pens. Although on this one the gold does go well with the rest of the pen colouring.